Receiver for ashes,butts and refuse



United States Patent- Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 637,242. May 9, 1967, now abandoned.

[45] Patented: Aug. 4, 1970 [73] Assignee: Chism-Wilborn, Inc. a Corp. of Kentucky [54] RECEIVER FOR ASHES, BUTTS AND REFUSE 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl. 131/242, 220/ 1 [51] 1nt.Cl. A24f19/00 [50] Field ofSearch 131/231, 240, 242, 257; 220/111 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D201,4l9 6/1965 Miller 131/257UX 1,459,096 6/1923 Gibbons l31/242X l l 1 3 1 44 l l i 9 l I? y l l l 1,646,086 10/1927 Fleming 220/ 1 H UX 1,999,140 4/1935 McDonald... 131/242UX 2,164,649 7/1939 Forbes 13l/257UX 2,209,105 7/1940 Baylis 131/240 2,210,291 8/1940 Herr 131/240 2,213,046 8/1940 Mather. 131/240 2,250,178 7/1941 Brush 131/240 2,352,033 6/1944 Stewart 131/242 FOREIGN PATENTS 399,615 10/1933 Great Britain. 131/240 618,418 2/1949 Great Britain. 131/240 Primary Examiner- Joseph S. Reich Attorney-Clarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson ABSTRACT: A flat-bottomed can provides a self-standing receiver. The top of the can has an upstanding screw-threaded neck for a screw cap having a lid portion that is centrally apertured and embodies a truncated conical adapter into which the depending discharge neck of an upstanding funnel is secured. A coiled spring atop the funnel provides cigarette seating and gripping members so that ashes, butts and refuse gravitate and accumulate in the receiver for emptying and disposition.

Patented Aug. 4, 1970 3,522,812

Arvin D. Chism Kenneth B. Wi/born INVENTORS BY (ma 59w atz U.S. PATENT 3,522,812 RECEIVER FOR ASHES, BUTTS AND REFUSE This is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 637,242, filed on May 9, 1967 and now abandoned.

This invention relates to a portable hollow base which constitutes a self-extinguishing receiver or tray for cigar and cigarette ashes, burning butts and smokers refuse and pertains, more explicitly, to a portable but self-standing, can-type receiver having an upstanding screw-threaded neck to which a structurally novel screw cap is detachably connected and wherein said cap is equipped with an upstanding funnel, said funnel having an axial composite discharge neck which is fixedly anchored on a centrally apertured portion ofthe cap.

The ash receiverherein disclosed lends itself to use in the users home, at his office or place of work, in his automobile or in similar areas. The special construction and coordination of the component parts provides an adaptation which is selfextinguishing, reduces stale and obnoxious odors to a practical minimum, virtually eliminates spilling and attending fire hazards, hides ugly ashtray mess, is easy to empty and keep clean, and is attractive in appearance.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a receiver for ashes, butts and refuse constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken approximately on the plane ofthe central vertical section line 2-2 ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view taken on the horizontal line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view in section and elevation taken approximately on the plane of the section line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

With reference in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2 the portable self-standing container is denoted by the numeral 6 and in practice is made of sheet metal and is lightweight and comprises a substantially cylindrical can 8 a hollow portion of which provides the aforementioned. receiver or receptacle portion 10. The bottom wall ofthe can or container is denoted at 12 and the top wall at 14. The central portion 16 of the top wall (FIG. 2) is provided with an upstanding screw-threaded attaching neck 18 for the readily attachable and detachable sheet material screw cap 20. This screw cap embodies a generally flat lid or diaphragm portion 22 that is centrally apertured as at 24. The outer portion of the lid portion is provided with a marginal rim 26 which is screw-threaded and is detachably joined to the openable and closable discharge neck 18. The lid portion around the aperture is provided with a truncated conical collar-like riser 28 which is axially aligned with and joined with said centrally apertured portion and protrudes upwardly and provides a significant part of an adapter. The remaining part of the adapter comprises a rela tively short depending annular or endless flange 30.

The numeral 32 designates means for supporting cigars and cigarettes and also for directing ashes and butts into the receiver 10. This means is characterized by a funnel 34 whose downwardly tapering lower end portion 36 is joined with and merges into a complemental discharge neck 38. The upper portion of the neck depends through and is snugly surrounded by the assembling and retaining flange 30. The funnel and neck are made of one kind of metal and the neck 38 is completely and effectually surrounded by a snug fitting sleeve 40 which is preferably made of aluminum. The sleeve is proportional to the length of the neck 38 and the lower end thereof is positioned and held in place as at 42 by a peened terminal edge 44. As brought out in FIG. 4 the upper end of the sleeve is spaced downwardly from the lower lip or edge 46 of the aforementioned flange 30. An aluminum washer is sandwiched between the upper edge 48 of the sleeve 40 and lower edge 46 of the neck 30 as shown in FIG. 4. The washer denoted by the numeral 50, surrounds the neck 38 and cooperates with the sleeve 40. This washer is of a diameter greater than the sleeve 40 and of an outside diameter less than the diameter of the aperture 24. It will be noted also that the inner marginal edge of the washer has struck out circumferentially spaced teeth or lugs 52 which can be slightly yieldable. Hence this washer is in effect like a spring washer and with the teeth 52 engaging the edge 46 and the washer engaging the edge 48, the sleeve is pushed down tight against the peened edge 44.

The readily applicable and removable clip means is denoted by the numeral 54 and comprises a coil spring of a length, when expanded, to bridge or span the central open mouth portion of the funnel. The mouth portion is annular and is denoted here for convenience by the numeral 56. The endmost coils or convolutions 58 are such as to accommodatingly position and retain rubber button-like heads 60. These heads are exposed so that the rubber surfaces thereof contact the interior surface of the annular mouth 56. The intermediate coils 62 are such in diameter and are so spaced when in use as to provide holders and rests for the lighted cigarette A. This clip means 54 is readily applicable and removable.

With particular respect to the self-extinguishing aspect of this invention, when a burning cigarette is dropped into the receiver or receptacle portion the smoke stream ascends almost immediately. When the arising heated gases reach and encompass the aluminum sleeve and washer, these component parts serve as heat transfer agents whereby to then cool the mixture of gases, permitting the latter to settle at the bottom of thereceptacle. Inasmuch as only a limited supply of oxygen is present in the receptacle it consumes the essential oxygen and the cigarette is snuffed out and extinguished.

This ashtray will not spill its contents and is safe to use in such areas as refineries, garages, gasoline stations, aboard ships, buses and other similar and otherwise hazardous areas. It is capacious and requires only emptying once a day under normal use.

In addition to the above, it is evident that by unscrewing the cap 20 and detaching the cap and funnel 34 the then uncovered can or container can be turned upside down and the accumulated refuse can be readily dumped out in a selfevident manner.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. For use by smokers of cigars and cigarettes, a refuse col lector comprising: a portable container providing a self-standing receiver, said container having a top wall provided with a centralized upstanding screw-threaded neck, a screw-cap including a lid portion that is centrally apertured and a marginal rim encircling and detachably joined to said neck, a truncated conical collar-like riser axially aligned and joined with the centrally apertured portion of said lid portion and protruding upwardly and providing an adapter, and means for supporting cigars and cigarettes and directing ashes and butts into said receiver, said means including a funnel, said funnel embodying a wide-mouth hopper having a discharge neck and a downwardly tapering lower end merging thereinto said neck passing downwardly through said centrally apertured portion and depending into and terminating in an upper portion of said receiver and removable clip means mounted in and bridging the mouth portion of said funnel and embodying resilient components in which a cigarette can be temporarily clipped and stored in a safe readily accessible position directly above and in alignment with said discharge neck.

2. The refuse collector defined in and according to Claim 1, and wherein the apertured portion embodies an endless marginal edge provided with an integral depending collar-like flange, said flange surrounding and being secured to and joining said flange and neck together.

3. The refuse collector defined in and according to Claim 2, and a sleeve snugly surrounding a major portion of said neck, said sleeve being made of heat transfer material.

4. The refuse collector defined in and according to Claim 2, and, in combination, an aluminum sleeve snugly surrounding and covering the major portion of said neck, the lower terminal end portion of said sleeve being flared outwardly and engaging said terminal end portion and serving to prevent displacement of the sleeve from the neck.

5. The refuse collector defined in and according to Claim 4, and a washer snugly surrounding said neck and sandwiched between the lower edge of said flange and upper edge of said sleeve, said washer having resilient struck out circumferentially spaced tooth-like detents having yieldable ends in thrust engagement with the lower edge ofsaid flange.

6. The refuse collector defined in and according to Claim 1, and wherein said clip means comprises a coil spring of predetermined length, cross-section and tension, the coils of said spring providing the aforementioned resilient components and being spaced apart sufficiently to provide individual selectively usable rests for cigarettes.

7. The refuse collector defined in and according to Claim 6, and wherein the respective endmost coils of said coil spring are provided with surface contacting spring positioning and retaining heads made of rubber and having anti-slipping contact with diametrically opposite surface portions of the mouth portion of said funnel. 

